Conclusion

Abstract

The 1970s is not the cultural wasteland which previous studies have suggested. The fragility of an industry which created an uncertain and unstable film culture was brought about by industrial changes and allowed for exciting innovation. Fostered by the entrepreneurial culture of the 1960s, the 1970s film industry permitted relatively inexperienced producers to flourish. The working practices adopted by entrepreneurial producers and financiers passed benefits on to filmmakers who may not have otherwise secured funding. I have highlighted Don Boyd’s work with Alan Clarke and Derek Jarman, but other important partnerships were forged in the period, which directly contributed to this eclectic film culture. David Puttnam and Sandy Lieberson collaborated with Ken Russell on Mahler (1974) and Lizstomania (1975), and also offered feature film opportunities to Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Terry Gilliam. The activities of Michael Klinger throughout the 1970s also demonstrate how crucial it was to secure alternative methods of funding. Similarly to Klinger’s work with independent financiers to fund the Confessions series, the Monty Python team also drew the funding for their first feature film from investments made by bands Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Such innovative production methods were the direct result of the failure of existing forms of financial support from the American studios, Rank, EMI and the NFFC.